Security is a concern for devices configured to form a personal area network (PAN), a wireless home network, or a wireless local area network (LAN). A PAN may include devices connected to a gateway, some or all of which may be wireless. Wireless PAN devices are typically not secure. These devices may be prone to packet sniffing and thus permit unauthorized access into the PAN's gateway and to PAN device services, such as a global information network (e.g. the Internet). The unauthorized access may cause a processing power burden in the PAN devices as well as charges for services used by the unauthorized user. Direct attacks on a PAN may also substantially reduce or disrupt service on the PAN. For example, when an SPN includes an Internet-enabled cellular phone, an unauthorized device may be able to use the cellular phone to access the Internet thus increasing service charges for the cellular phone owner.
A user may not be vigilant in providing security to a PAN. Security methods exist, such as layer 2 media access control (MAC) filtering and firewalls. PAN devices are typically low-power and thus unable to implement a robust security scheme. Layer 2 and layer 3 encryption are also available as security methods. Not all devices that are part of a PAN, however, may be capable of providing encryption, due to hardware limitations. Even devices that are capable of encryption may incur a processing cost which may place a substantial burden in processing power on the device. These security and encryption methods may be cumbersome to a user to correctly configure and update, particularly as the number of devices in the PAN increase.